Why don't you want me?
by somekindafreaky
Summary: Set a few years in the future. Kitty gets a surprise visit from someone who abandoned her four years ago... starring Kitty and Remy. Mild romance. One-shot


This is a story I'm writing just after I watched Fresh Prince of Bel Air – the one where Will's dad comes back… it was so sad, it made me cry!! And I just had to write this little one-shot based on it. It's set six years in the future. Kitty is about twenty-two and Remy is twenty-sixish. Enjoy! I'll appreciate reviews if you can be bothered.

*****

The doorbell rang. Kitty glanced over to it, then put down the wooden spoon she was using to stir that night's dinner, and crossed from the kitchen, through the living room, to the front door of the little apartment.

She opened it, and was greeted by quite a surprise.

"…Kitty?" 

She simply stood there, her mind reeling. She felt she was going to faint. And then she finally managed a weak, "Daddy?"

Carmen Pryde stood there, rubbing his arm sheepishly, unable to look at her face. "Hello," he said at last, "…it…it's been a long time."

She nodded dumbly, then regained her composure a little. She stood back and gestured for him to enter. He came in, and she observed him with sad, curious eyes. He was definitely not the man she had known in her youth. He was much worse. His hair was almost gone completely, and what remained was a ghostly white. His face was drawn and his eyes were grey and he stood slouched. He shuffled over to the couch and plopped gratefully down. He looked like a tired, tired old man.

Kitty wanted to cry. She wasn't completely sure why either. It had been a whole six years since her parents had divorced. She hadn't thought anything could have been worse – but the next few years proved her wrong. The disappointment, when her father simply stopped calling her. It had happened so gradually she hadn't really noticed, but every so often it would just hit her how he was suddenly not a part of her life any more. As she looked at the man on the couch across from her, she wondered if he was the same man at all any more, as he had been when she was young.

"Yes, it has," she eventually answered.

"So," he continued, still not meeting her gaze, "what have you been up to?"

Something deep inside of Kitty burned with instant anger. How dare this man, who had pretty much ignored her these past five or six years, think he could just waltz into her new life and become a part of it again? But then the much larger part of Kitty was overjoyed and thrilled to see her father again. She perched on the armchair opposite him.

"Well…" she told him about her life since he had disappeared, except for the parts about her depressions and health problems. She told him about how she was now attending university. Four years ago she had simply up and decided to leave New York, and start a brand new life for herself – she certainly hadn't counted on Carmen being a part of it. She had come to college in New Orleans, and shared an apartment with Remy. Nobody really knew how that had happened. He hadn't invited her, she hadn't invited herself, it just seemed the most logical plan. They had been living together ever since. She earned as much money as she could waitressing, and babysitting, but he maintained their home and kept food on the table, and paid a large part of her fees too. They never discussed it. In some kind of repayment Kitty cleaned, cooked (she was better at it now) and pretended she didn't know how he got their money. She didn't like to think about it. 

"So how did you find me?" she asked him.

"I… I spoke to your mother a few months ago. I was passing through and I thought… I'd pay you a visit."

She crossed her legs curtly. "Oh… you never did before."

"I know," he looked awkwardly at his hands, which were writhing in his lap. "Kitty… I've been the worst father in the world these past years and, and all I want to do is make it up to you. You cannot believe how sorry I am. I don't know what I was doing. You… you reminded me of your mother, and I was scared and I didn't… let me be part of your life again Kitty."

Kitty opened her mouth in shock. She was about to reply, when the door opened.

Remy entered. Both the Prydes turned and stared at him. He stopped in his tracks and looked from Kitty to this strange man he didn't know.

"Remy," Kitty said quietly. "This is my… father."

Remy's eyes widened momentarily, but then his face settled back to its usual blank expression. He was good at concealing his emotions. *So this is Kitty's father…* Remy fought back the urge to spit in the man's face. Instead, he extended his hand, and said coldly, "Hello Mr Pryde."

"Hello Mr LeBeau. It's nice to meet you."

He nodded. Carmen withdrew his hand somewhat nervously.

"Kitty," said Remy suddenly, "can I speak to you for a moment… in private." Kitty looked a little confused and alarmed, shot an apologetic look at her father, and followed Remy into his bedroom. They sat down on his bed.

"What is it?"

"Kitty," Remy looked darkly at her. "What is he doing here?"

"He…" she blushed and smiled, "he wants to be part of my life again Remy!"

Remy didn't say anything; he just stared at the floor. 

"Remy…? Isn't that wonderful?"

Remy turned to look at her again, frowning. "Are you sure petite?"

"What – what do you mean?" she asked, mortified.

"Petite," he took her hands securely in his own, and looked deep into her wide blue eyes. "He left you for six years. Are you sure… you want this…"

"Of course!" she cried, and sharply jerked her hands out of his hold. "How could I not want him in my life?"

"He… as good as abandoned you."

Kitty stared at him in a mixture of anger and hurt and confusion. "He's my FATHER!" she wailed. Remy quickly smothered her mouth with his hand, pressing her back against the pillows.

"Shh!" he told her sharply. "I'm just telling you, that's all. I don't think you should trust him. He walked out on your mother – and you – once before, who's to say he won't do it again? I don't like to be the one to tell you but--"

Kitty phased furiously through him. "It's nothing to do with you Remy! Okay?!?! Just leave me and my dad alone!"

*****

A week or so past. Carmen was as good as his word. He took Kitty shopping, on drives and walks, even to the zoo and the fair. Remy could only stand, watching. He was so sure Carmen would break Kitty's heart again. And it broke his heart to see her so happy again, just like a child, when he knew she would only be let down again. He supposed it was just natural of Kitty – she was a born Daddy's girl, and she depended on him and loved him madly. Perhaps she always would, no matter what he did to her.

Kitty was giving him the silent treatment. She would just point her nose in the air and stalk off whenever he came into a room. She never even told him she was leaving. He just found a note on his pillow: 'I am leaving tomorrow with my Dad. Goodbye xx.'

He drank a lot that night. He was aware that Kitty was in the next room, sleeping, for the last time she would in his house. He really didn't want to have to say goodbye to her when he was drunk, but then again, he reasoned, she probably wouldn't want to say bye to him at all. It was five o' clock in the morning, approximately, when he staggered out to the bathroom, threw up violently, and on his way back –

"Mr Pryde?" he stared blearily at the man, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Mr LeBeau…"

"What are you doing?"

He straightened up, but still looked rather sad, "I'm leaving."

Remy sobered up very quickly indeed. "You're… where's Kitty?"

"Er…" Carmen shifted uneasily. "That's the thing… I'm not going with her."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, Mr LeBeau, please keep your voice down!! I don't want to wake Kitty up!"

"Why are you leaving without her?"

Carmen looked rather guilty. He sat down gingerly. "I… I just can't."

"Was she upset?"

Carmen stared at his hands. "I haven't told her."

"So you're sneaking out," Remy said, his voice empty of emotion.

Mr Pryde shifted uneasily. "I can't do this Mr LeBeau. I'm just… I can't."

"Why not?"

He looked up at Remy sadly. "She's my daughter, and I… I love her, I really, really do, but I just can't do this without Terry. Kitty's a woman now, and that's why I came back, I thought I could handle being a father without a mother there too. I thought she wouldn't have troubles, you know, she'd just be capable and mature. But she has all these problems…" he looked disapprovingly around the apartment and Remy scowled openly. "Terry always dealt with the problems. But now I have to, because Terry's not here, and I don't want to…"

Remy was getting fairly worked up now, and it took all his self control not to just get up and punch the man right in the face. But he remembered he was Kitty's father, even if he was a very poor excuse for one.

"It's not about what you don't want, it's about what Kitty needs," Remy answered, checking his voice. He flexed his fists slightly. Carmen noticed and stood up hastily.

"I need to go now," he said quickly. However Remy reacted extraordinarily fast and pushed him straight back down.

"I don't think so Mr Pryde," he said, not sitting back down but towering over the nervous man. "You don't run out on de chat, especially not for a _second time_, without facing any consequences."

"You touch me I'll call the police," Carmen said quickly.

"I won't touch you," Remy told him sharply. "But I will tell you about how your daughter will feel when she finds out you've gone. At first she'll be confused – and then she'll pretend she doesn't mind. And then she'll be angry. And then she'll cry and cry and I'll have to be the father you're too _afraid_ to be, and let her cry into my arms. But I won't run out on her however little I like having to comfort her, because I'm a real man and I love her." He stopped short, suddenly realising what he had said.

"I love her!" Carmen snapped. "I love her like a father! You're just some horny, stupid guy. Don't you touch Kitty."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt her! Unlike you! You have no right to be a part of her life at all, let alone tell me what I should and shouldn't do!"

"Do you want me to admit it? I'm not a real man then, not as good as you at least. I'm scared. Are you happy?"

"Of course not!" Remy cried. "But I'm happier than Kitty will be! Now you either march right back in there and tell her you're leaving, or you DON'T LEAVE and break her heart all over again."

"I never broke her heart," he growled back. 

"You didn't call or write for years. She had no father. But I suppose none is better than one like you."

"Don't you talk to me like that! I'm leaving"

"Tell her!"

"I don't--"

"Daddy?" The two men turned in horror at the sound. Kitty was standing there in the doorway, in her nightie. She had evidently heard them shouting. "What's going on?" she looked between them.

"Well I… Kitty, I have to leave."

"What? Now? Why?"

"Well, some, some business came up."

"But I'm not quite packed--"

"No Kitty. You don't have to pack," Carmen looked down, obviously ashamed. "I need to go alone."

Kitty opened her mouth slightly. Her eyes were filled with confusion and hurt. "I don't understand. Daddy, why…?"

"You understand don't you honey?" he asked, and stepped forward. She nodded, and stood limply while he hugged her briefly, before leaving fast.

Kitty stared at the door blankly for a few moments. She seemed to have forgotten Remy was there, until, that is, he moved silently to her side and touched her arm gently.

"Petite, are you okay?"

She turned to him, and forced a faint smile. "Yes, I'm fine Remy. I, I want to go to bed."

"Yes chere. But you know, you can talk to me about it if you want… I think you should."

"There's nothing to talk about," she shrugged and went a step toward her bedroom door. "I'm alright."

"It's okay to be angry chat."

She turned to face him again. Her smile had gone. "No, I – I… it's not like I know he doesn't think of me now, you know? It's not like, those years when I thought he had forgotten all about me. When I would like, wake you up in the middle of the night to ask if he had called, and then cry, and, and…" her voice had been steadily rising as she had been speaking, and her anger was growing. Remy could see it blatantly.

"I went through the hardest part of my life without him. I turned into an adult, and he didn't even care! He didn't even send a STUPID POSTCARD!" she screamed and tugged at her bangs furiously. Remy quickly walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turned away from him and buried her face in her hands. He could feel his heart breaking just watching her.

"Petite…" she turned to him again, and now there were definite tears shining in her eyes.

"What's wrong with me Remy?" she asked, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "Why doesn't he want me?"

At those words Remy completely lost himself, and he grabbed her into his arms. She collapsed against him willingly, even thought she was rather shocked at the sudden action, but she was grateful for the warmth and comfort he provided. She buried her face in his neck, sobbing harshly. He held her ridiculously tightly around the shoulders. He couldn't understand at all why Carmen didn't want her. Remy certainly did, and never more than right now. He wanted to kiss her, but she would probably think he was taking advantage of her vulnerability right now. So he just held her, and they remained like that for the rest of the night. It was the best and the worst night Remy could ever remember.


End file.
